So since that top picture is what i am literally lying in bed staring at as i write this post (yes, i went to paris/versailles for barely 24 hours, and am now in stockholm)... and since it's already 4:30am, and i'm kind of on a chandelier high (they are kind of mesmerizingly stunning, and at the moment, i just feel drawn to standing directly under them and looking up)... figured i'd show you the crazy contrast between chandeliers from Versailles and the various more modern chandeliers here at the Lydmar Hotel in Stockholm. More to come on the Lydmar soon, but it has definitely jumped up on my list of favorites quickly ~ there's something so nice about their eclectic mix of modern and woody and i'm completely smitten by the bathroom, particularly the lighting! But first... go see the rest of the modern chandelier mandala pics on the next page!

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Tags: furniture - home - hotels - lighting - stockholm - sweden

There's something so magical about being able to wander around the Chateau de Versailles after dark in black tie garb with only a handful of people around... and free flowing Dom Perignon. Actually, there's something so magical about Versailles at any time, but this was particularly surreal... and while there, i think i've discovered a new obsession. Chandeliers. From directly below! Particularly with mesmerizingly mind bending shadows and/or ridiculously opulent and stunning ceilings... and yes, there was a point where i became that girl who handed off her glass of Dom to lay on the floor in the middle of an empty room in my dress, louboutins, and clutching my massive camera to see just how much ceiling my wide angle could ingest from directly below the center of the chandelier. It's a bit dizzying at times shooting straight up and getting lost in the concentric circles ~ but it's such a fun perspective... Ami from Cool Hunting is calling them our 'chandelier mandalas' (and huge thanks for Ami for resisting iphone-pic-ing me while i was laying there on the floor!)... so take a peek at *some* of the chandeliers (and a few bonuses!) from perhaps (but hopefully not!) the most magical night i will ever spend in Versailles...

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Tags: chateau - france - home - lighting - paris - travel

"Inspired by the comet logo and created by Design Research Studio under the creative direction of Tom Dixon, Veuve Clicquot presents The Comet. The Comet is a natural evolution of Tom's original creation the Comet Lamp." (Which we gave away to a luck reader earlier!) I've always loved geodesic structures, and to have this large igloo like cave of a space in that vibrant Veuve yellow ~ and filled with perfectly stacked bottles of champagne... it was just a delightful space! Also unmissable from afar as you wonder what the bizarre yellow structures are as you enter from the bridge...

I suppose i shouldn't be too surprised to find myself coming from the history and source of Veuve Clicquot having just participated in harvest, only to be mesmerized and inspired once again by their design collaborations... on random thoughts, these comet structures would make for a very cool fort if i was still a kid... or maybe a sanctuary or work space? tree house? Unfortunately there weren't really any kids at the VIP event, but i bet they would have made for some adorable pictures! See lots of pics of the structures and some other Veuve details on the next page!

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Tags: champagne - events - furniture - lighting - london - luxury - veuve clicquot

On awesome 4th of July presents from afar ~ my sister just bought me and then installed to photograph ~ this awesome Beasties Lamp Shade from Habitat! (It's waiting for me out in London, so the unbox will hold me over till i get there on my next trip!) If it looks familiar, i posted it as #22491... These Beasties are "Acid etched metal shade featuring animal-shaped silhouettes etched around the shade." Take a peek at more shots of it, the cool shadows it makes, and the packaging on the next page!

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Tags: animals - gifts - lighting - london - nature - shopping - uk

It's always such a pleasure to go visit the DesignGlut booth at ICFF ~ i'm not sure how to describe it other than delightfully edgy ~ it is so playful, yet realistically dark ~ basically i always end up wanting everything ~ and as silly as Kegan Fisher and Liz Kinnmark may seem, they manage to pull it off this playfulness with more charisma and seriousness than you may expect from a design duo selling your eggs pants. Their photo shoots and booth design were stunning as always, and they're even launching a new product... the Candlestrip ~ just like what it sounds like ~ candles with plug bottoms, ready to stick into almost any outlet (i still think they were pretty risky to have outlet plates as well as candle prototypes in the same booth waiting to be plugged together!) ~ but basically the candles go into a power strip like holder!

Take a look at some closeups of the new goodies, and their fun booth on the next page!

p.s.
i hate that every time i see them i feel like i need to buy a few dozen more hookmakers!

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Tags: candles - gifts - icff - lighting - shopping

I have to admit this up front because i felt so silly about it ~ when i was trying to start catching up on what ICFF goodness to share, i couldn't get this insane reflective jellyfish-like icelandic lamps out of my head, so i start photoshopping pictures, and then researching online, only to find that it had already been on NOTCOT.org #20302... So yes, even I can't keep up with absolutely everything anymore, and truthfully, it was even cooler in person!

Now for those who don't know, these lights are Illuminant by Kristin Birna Bjarnadottir out of Iceland ~ and there is no actual LIGHT in the light! It is like a jellyfish of reflective fabric ~ reflective strands hanging down and bundled above the more classically shaped lamp shade ~ and on the floor is a high powered LED light, simply shooting light up inside of it, and the result is this ethereal glowing free flowing creature... and to change colors, you simple put glass filters on the lights. (Literally just put a glass disc on the top of the light source) Now, imagine a forest of jellyfish in the ocean... can you imagine these installed in an array of sizes and heights hanging from trees in a garden party?

Take a look at the various pictures on the next page!

p.s.
i could also totally see these installed in a rave/burning man type situation evolved into a visual/sound installation where the lights pulsate with the music and possibly even push bursts of air upwards to create perfectly timed motion in the tentacles of a forest of these... how fun would that be to watch?

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Tags: gifts - home - icff - lighting - nature - reflective - shopping

I suppose the real question is... How can you pass up seeing DJ Kreemy (Karim) spin and dance all decked out in one of his all pink outfits (down to the watch even!)? There was quite a line for the Artemide party once Karim was spinning, and it was really quite odd trying to explain to this older french couple that may have just happened to wander through Soho at the right moment what it was exactly that people were lined up for... Also hilarious to see more beefy guys in super tight tees, this time green with I <3 LED on them and serving appletinis... The Cadmo lights by Karim were quite beautiful as well, honestly i liked them far better in person than i had in photos that had been circulating. Take a peek at the grassy window display, Karim in action, the lighting, and the I <3 LED bartenders on the next page!

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Tags: events - home - icff - lighting - music - new york - shopping - travel

Amazing that Kartell is celebrating their 60th birthday this year! 1949 - 2009! To celebrate their design week party was "Kartell, 60 Years of Design! What a wonderful world!". Such a classic design powerhouse ~ it was fun not only to see some of their new pieces launched this year, but also their great color sorted displays, playful human cut outs, great use of mirrors, and perhaps my favorite unexpected detail... beefy guys in very tight I <3 Kartell Lights shirts, complete with their lighting collection on their backs. I couldn't help but as the nice server to pose for me to share his shirt with you! So click on to the next page to take a peek at the Kartell soho show room and the scene tonight!

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Tags: chair - desk - furniture - gifts - home - icff - lighting - shopping

Firstly, oh yes, i will probably be that girl at the supermarket rocking the metallic bronzey Tom Dixon tote in line... with my random magazines staying dry from wet goods and showing off the title perfectly in its exterior pocket ~ clearly made FOR that reason! You will suddenly know exactly what mood i'm in... artsy, businessy, car-y, fashiony?

But seriously ~ how can anyone resist these parties in empty Soho condos on GORGEOUS days with never ending Veuve Clicquot flowing ~ Tom Dixon lighting and furnishings surrounding you ~ and nearly 360 skyline views to stare out at? Dwell hosted a great party! Met some really cool folks ~ and yes... i'm impressed with their very trendy tote. Also see the sweet grassy kid friendly rooftop i spotted as well as many water towers... and all the Tom Dixon goodies on the next page!

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Tags: events - home - lighting - new york - travel - veuve clicquot

Landed in NYC at the equivalent time earlier than i normally go to sleep in LA... huge points for the sweet Ace Hotel NYC guys for giving me a room at 7am and letting me curl up in bed with wifi and post to you now... yes, i'm a little deliriously giddy and going to crash in a few, but far too excited not to show you these pics first...

I think i'm *home* ~ but i must admit i was nervous ~ kind of like meeting someone you've talked to online for ever, and you know you like a lot of the same stuff, but when you finally meet in the flesh ~ well its nerve racking. And you hit your kinks and panic attacks along the way (they JUST soft opened yesterday after delays) ~ but then its love at first sight?

So we're going to do this the inside out way ~ starting with the room itself, its amazingly awesome details (my house so needs a black smeg, i wish i could just stick it in my suitcase and bring it home!) ~ adorably cozy vintage designy furnishings ~ glossy black outlets and faceplates! ~ big metal door ~ gorgeous lights ~ yummy treats ~ anyhow, see for yourself... pics of the room on the next page...

p.s.
saw sunset in LA and sunrise in NYC ~ and in between it was incredibly clear out tonight ~ really bright moon and stars and darkness with patches of towns/cities in the middle... so also a few pics of the crazy view.

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Tags: furniture - home - hotels - lighting - new york - review - travel

Where bad letters go when they die? Ok so they aren't bad ~ but the awesome photography of finnish company, Characters, certainly makes it seem like these are the ones that fell off Sesame Street's letters of the day... only to end up drunk and in an alley all alone? Basically these are recycled - "saved" letters - orphaned when old signage is neglected or discarded... when i saw these over at designboom, i couldn't resist seeing if they had NOTCOT available ~ and then debating whether to get some... it'd look pretty crazy to have your own ex-neon sign graveyard... mis matched reincarnated letters all LED'd out?

So what happens? "When company signs and logos are taken down, they get demolished. We recycle the characters into individual design objects. We dismantle the letters, clean them up, add a new transformer, LED lights and the power cord, and put them back together." See some of the stunning photography on the next page!

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Tags: gifts - lighting - recycled - shopping - technology - typography

OMG, tactical flashlight that will supposedly out live it's owners... just arrived today ~ meet the 511 Tactical Light For Life - charges in 90 seconds... uses 3 LEDs and is super bright with 3 modes (including "a 270 lumen tactical strobe used to instantly illuminate objects in a dark space, signal others or disorient a perpetrator, giving you valuable time to assess a situation")... and uses "FlashPoint that merges state of the art ultracapacitors with advanced solid state programming to efficiently load, unload, and manage energy." - in otherwords it recharges in 90 seconds in the car charger (a/c adapter coming soon) and then outputs "60 minutes in standard mode (90 lumens) and gradually reduce intensity to the 25 lumen standby mode for an additional 60 minutes." or "a full 15 minutes of the 270 lumen peak mode, followed by 60 minutes of 25 lumen standby light."

Also ~ how eco-friendly is it? Well if its the only flashlight you'll ever need (as in it will supposedly last more recharge cycles than you can pull off in a lifetime), uses LEDs, has no batteries... and just imagine hooking it up to a solar charger? Details wise, it's pretty sleek, ans super light weight, and incredibly bright! To fully appreciate it, check out the VIDEO i made to show you the modes on the next page ~ as well as lots of close up shots and unboxing!

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Tags: gear - gifts - lighting - reviews - shopping - technology

Ok ok, i really should go to sleep ~ but finally cleaned through about 2/3s of many many emails in my inbox, and amongst them was this really cool one from Postfossil who is launching a new collection at the Salone Satellite 2009 in Milano next week! So before i leave you, here is some fun eye candy to enjoy! See more of the new collection and more details on the next page!

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Tags: furniture - home - lighting - salone - shopping

Veuve Clicquot is presenting Out of the Box at the Milano Salone del Mobile 2009 ~ and NOTCOT has a first peek at the goodies being shown! Their new DesignBox is an eco-friendly gift box ~ which they've put into the hands of Tom Dixon, Front Design, and 5.5 Designers to see what it inspired in them. These three collaborations come together at the SuperStudio Piu exhibition along with the Domus Academy (my alma mater!) Master in Design projects on Via Tortona, 27 from April 22nd through 27th.

Above you can see renderings of Couch by Front Design, Lamp by Tom Dixon, and Cellar by 5.5 Designers. And on exciting news if you're in milan... only 500 of Tom Dixon's lamp have been produced and on day of the event 490 lamps (which are limited edition) will be made available to guests in Milan on a first-come first served basis!!! But for now, check out larger images and more info on the next page!

p.s.
Will you be in Milan? Have some great photography skills and an obsession for design? I won't be making it out this year, but some eyes and ears over there to help cover some events might be fun...

p.p.s
i love that hexagon logo shaped hole on the side of the box that says PUSH.

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Tags: drinks - furniture - home - lighting - packaging - salone - veuve clicquot

Continuing the obsession with solar powered playfully designed lighting... Remember that post last week about the new ones from IKEA? Well, i couldn't help myself and went and tracked them down, took a bunch of pics at the store, AND bought quite a few too! The real question really was, what is the quality like, how long do they last, etc... and bottom line, i'm LOVING the mini lanterns and the pod on a stick looking one the best! Also some pretty smart design choices on the lantern, but its not nearly as bright as i'd hoped... more pics of all the details on the next page!

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Tags: gifts - green - ikea - lighting - outdoor - reviews - shopping - solar

Been obsessively shopping for solar lighting far too much the last few months ~ first as xmas gifts, and now for my patio space... so many look the same, and i was surprised how few clean modern options there were out there ~ also pricing was all over. Just noticed at MoCoLoCo that the new IKEA Summer 09 collection is on its way~ and after some IKEA site searching found all the new summer pieces here and all of the solar lights here! One nice thing about the IKEA selections, they all run on replaceable rechargeable batteries and use LEDs! Take a look at all of the fun designs on the next page ~ i can't wait to play with some when they get into the stores!

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Tags: gifts - green - ikea - lighting - outdoor - shopping - solar

In addition to the new Artecnica Charming Collection by Studio Tord Boontje, Artechnica and Studio Tord Boontje also launched 4 other collections! The Future Flora is a series of 3 Silver Plated Pendant Lamps: Laure, Ruglada, and Nadine. Studio Tord Boontje has always been a master of shadows when it comes it lighting, and these are no exception ~ flat packed, and ready to transform a room! On a smaller scale, Bright Times, is a series of 4 pop-out votive candle holders made from colorful/silver/gold etched steel... Also on the candle holder front, they have launched Candle Clamp, made from laser cut steel, it uses an "ingenious interlocking system that requires neither steel nor glue"... and the latest addition to the tranSglass collection, a new gorgeous Champagne Dish designed by Tord Boontje and Emma Woffden ~ see all four new collections on the next page!

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Tags: candles - gifts - gold - home - lighting - shopping - silver - steel

Gift Guide! This one is all about lighting ~ i've recently found that one of my new favorite fall backs for gifts is lighting! especially when unboxed before hand, and setup ready to plug in or light up, there is something so magical about the unboxing experience and watching someone literally transform the room by opening it, turning it on, plugging it in! Here is a roundup of picks we're loving and/or wanting... and also a special section on solar lights! I'm recently been obsessively researching them ~ in love with the solar lanterns ~ and exploring options and design ideas on other solar lighting related concepts... Anyhow, check out the massive gift guide on the next page, click to browse!

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Tags: gift guide - gifts - green - lighting - shopping - solar

TO WIN: Leave a comment ~ Tell us something rechargeable related! ENTER BY 12/3. WINNER: Keira in Alberta, Canada!

Oooh i'm giddy excited about this one too! I guess you've probably noticed by now that everything we're giving away i'm really excited about... this latest one is part review/unboxing (i've been dying to see one of these in person!) and part giveaway! OXO was kind enough to send over one the BIG Candela Luau Lanterns! I reviewed the Candela Flare lights earlier, and have been totally obsessed with how versatile and eco-friendly (and safer than candles!) they are with their rechargable batteries ~ perfect for outdoor usage of all sorts, and create the most incredible ambiance, especially in woody spaces! Well i've been itching to get one of the large lantern like Candela Luau lanterns for some time now, but had a hard time committing to the $200 pricetag without knowing quite how big or bright it was... but just seeing the product shots made me want to take one and wander along a stream at dusk...

Bottom line ~ its gorgeous! Brighter than i expected, but you can even dim it (and extend battery life from 6 to 10 hours) if you rotate the base... a bit large (Dimensions: 9'' x 9'' x 15'') to put on a smaller dining table, but perfect for taking on a picnic, having out on the patio, hanging from under a large outdoor umbrella. So take a look at the pics on the next page to see the unboxing (don't worry i carefully un/re-boxed it!) ~ and to win it, leave a comment tell us something rechargeable related!

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Tags: candles - gifts - giveaway - green - lighting - reusable - shopping - technology

While wandering through IKEA today, i finally gave in and had to take pics and buy one of the adorable kids Spoka Lights. These little ghosty night lights come in three shapes/colors and are squishy silicon rubber ~ its cordless with a recharger ~ and you push its head to turn it on and off. Designed by Bodrul Khalique. What was unexpected when i saw them was the packaging, they come in cute graphic bags, and inside the bag there is even a small pocket stitched inside for the cord. Supposedly on a full charge it can last 4-6 hours and light diodes are not replaceable; diode life approx. 50,000 hours. See more pictures on the next page!

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Tags: gifts - home - ikea - lighting - shopping

I saw the Veuve Clicquot Globalights designed by Karim Rashid in their true light... honestly, seeing them in press photos and at the launch did not do the design justice... the juxtaposition of the sleek modern pink glow, with the ancient, history filled caves, give them an incredibly surreal context... they were absolutely stunning in the dark depths of the roman limestone caves that double as cellars underneath Reims for the delicious Veuve Clicquot... and as such, i couldn't help taking photographs of its mesmerizing light, as it provided an incredible glow as our hand held lanterns as we toured the caves and learned about the process in the perfectly cool (same temp all year round!) space... looking at the pictures, i'm amazed how incredible the lighting turned out for what seemed so incredibly dark at the time... now if only we could PLAN some incredible photoshoot down there to make use of the space even more creatively (in addition to making champagne, of course!)... see the photo spread on the next page!

p.s.
unfortunately the only thing missing in these pictures is having an actual bottle IN the Globalight... ironically we were surrounded by bottles constantly though!

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Tags: champagne - drinks - lighting - luxury - travel - veuve clicquot

Candela was acquired by Oxo, and seeing these new Flare lights as rechargeable ambient lighting to replace/accompany candles, i couldn't resist. While i've always loved Candela's playful kids slug looking lights and the taller lights, i never knew what i'd really do with them. But in the new products since Candela met Oxo, you can immediately see the more mature, versatile, hyperfunctional designs which have emerged around the same technology. The Flare, DemiGlow, and Luau (how fun would it be to run around in the woods with that lantern?) are a gorgeous addition to their family of products, and the Flare look so perfect for everywhere from dinner on the patio to lining around your pool... i finally ordered some... so on the next page see a full unboxing, including an upclose look at what's in the box, how the lights are put together, and how they light a hallway.

One thing that blew me away on the user experience of the design... these lights run on rechargeable Ni-Cd batteries (which are replaceable), and they are charged by simply playing them on their base, which also doubles as a carrying tray. The lights also have adorable on and off buttons on the base. What i love is that - regardless of whether the light is on, when you place it on the base it goes off... as soon as you lift it from the base it lights up. And silly as it sounds, there is something magical about that interaction. Likewise, if there is a power outage, or you unplug the base to carry the tray, they will all light up. View the unboxing on the next page, and view the full selection of Oxo Candela Lights!

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Tags: candles - gifts - green - home - lighting - shopping - technology

NOTCOT Note: Here's the latest discovery from Anna (Sub-Studio) ~ these cheese/cutting boards would be SO perfect for fourth of july picnics and bbqs!

I saw Lotte van Laatum's work on Bloesem recently and fell in love with it. Lotte is a designer and recent graduate from the Design Academy Eindhoven. In her graduate program she specialized in the social-cultural and ecological aspects of design, an interest you can see permeate through her design collection. Much of her work references other cultures, and even employs craftsmen from those cultures, such as her Bloei! sofa, Tulipa vases (after the jump), and the Made in Peru cushions. Lotte's Dutch Wood project attempts to create awareness about the sustainable use of local resources by keying the shape of each cutting board back to the geographical region it was harvested from. The cutting boards come from the regions of Veluwe, Noordoostpolder and Salland, and are made of three different types of wood - beech, ash and maple.

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Tags: accessories - furniture - kitchen - lighting - sub-studio - table

Velcro. We've all used it, but have you ever thought about what you can build out of it? After getting settled from all the traveling, and finally having some time in the midst of this TasteSpotting situation (which i'm sorry i can't talk about yet, but will try to tell you what i can when possible)... i finally manage to wrangle my lost ICFF images out from Aperture (it kind of ate them in the midst of the madness) ~ so here i'll be catching up on some of the fun stuff i wanted to share from ICFF 08.

Back to velcro, though, when at the Conran Shop's ROJO Exhibition party curated by Nani Marquina and Luis Eslava ~ everything was red! And i was enamored by Luis Eslava's Face to Face lamp constructed of velcro strips ~ as well as his velcro space dividers which were used in both white and red throughout the exhibition. See more images from the exhibition as well as close ups of the velcro on the next page! I've been really curious to go buy velcro strips and have fun with them for new office dividers lately...

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Tags: events - furniture - home - icff - lighting

We came across this Bait Lamp designed by Henrik Pedersen for the Frandsen Projekt at ICFF, and i must admit, it didn't look like much to me, until i lost Dan, only to find him with the booth guy playing with this lamp... and then it suddenly became really sweet. It has a carbon fiber rod, and on it is a movable brushed steel weight, and using the weight as a counter balance you can slide it along the lamp to adjust the height of the lighting, and the carbon fiber rod will naturally adjust its curve!

Really, you need to see it in action to make sense of it... so luckily we made a quick video clip you can check out to illustrate how it works. Unfortunately there is minimal information on the the Frandsen Projekt site, but we did find it in the catalog/pdf. Watch our little video on the next page!

p.s. we're internally debating whether the lamp we saw is the same lamp in the press images, but the booth guy gave us the press kit saying it was in there, and this is the closest thing to it........ it is a bit weird that the press image has the shade hanging so much lower, perhaps that's adjustable?

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Tags: furniture - home - lighting - shopping